jtjlitjs smith



No. 66,529. PATBNTED JULY 9, 1367.

' Y H. l.'r. SMITH.

AMALGAMATING THE PBBGIQUS METALS.

amnmis tem# @ffice f 4 f LH. JULiUs SMITH, or Bos'roin.Massiicrnusurrs.r

v i Y Letters Patent No.A 66,529, dated July 9, 1.867.

4tite Srlgciiilt ritmi infin limsi litters iitint' mit mating @nl 'rf tige uur.

,T0 ALL HOM 1T MAY CONCERN:

Be itrknotv'n that 111. JIiLIUs SMITH, oi' Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a. new and useful Improvement in the Amalgain'ation of. the Precious Metals, and in thev apparatus for that purpose; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and correct description ofthe saine, reference being'y had .to the accompanying drawings, in Which'- Figure 1 is a top view or plan view of my amalgamating apparatus, with the-cover of the cylinder removed.`

Figure 2 is a vertical section neamthc feed-end of'i'theamalgumating cylinder.

The nature ofy my invention consists the construction and operation of an amalgamating apparatus in which nicrcury is made to pass from an amalgamating chamber' to and through aregcnerating tank, in which its n-Ilinity for other metals is heightened by contact with a solution of a compound or saltof one of the electro-positive metals acted on by an electric current, allas hereinaftermore particularly set forth.

-To enable others to nake'and use my'impr'o've'd ainalgujnatorJ `'.rill proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the drawings, whereon A mai-lis the base of thc apparatus; B the cylindrical amalga mating chamber, 'which isdivided horizontally in the middle, the upper heli' forming a lid o r cover, hinged to the lower half at C. 1D is a .winch-indicating the point 'of applicationof any suitahlcdriving power to the shaft Et which passesthroixgh the cylinder B and turns on'journalsat either end. Fixed tothis shaft are nnydesired number of circular perforated disks F F, &c.,which correspond 'in size with the interior of cylinder B, in which Vthey turn. They are freely perforatcdvwith small holes, as seen iii-tig. 2, the size of the holesl having reference to the character and condition of the materials intended to be operated upon. Each disk turns in contact tvith n' scrapcnf, which keeps its edge clean, Thevcylinder B is connected by inlet pip-c G and outlet pipeH with the regeneratingtank J which stands beside it. In the lonjer port o f'this tank is placed shaft K, fixed to `which. is a propeller-blade, On the front end of shaft E is groovedy pulley M, which by means of cord N turns pulley O on the end of short-shaft P, carrying at its other end pulley Qwhich by cord'g turns pulley R on the end off propeller-shaft K, and gives' motion to the propeller-blade L'. The action of this bludcis to drive the contents 'u of the lower part of the tank J out at one end of said tank in the direetionindicated by the black arroirs 1, 2, 3, 4,i5, 6, A7, 8, through pipe G into and through the chamber B andibackthroughpipc H into the oppositecnd of the tank, keeping up o continuous circulation. S marks un electric battery of any convenient kind, communicating with the tank J by wire T leading to thcpositivc electrode U njhiclr is suspended in the upper portion of thc tank and wire V leading to the negativo'pole which'passe's tothe bottom of'thetank. Y marks the inletI waste pipe through which the tailings or exhausted materials are carried 0E. Y

pipe, through which the materials to 4he acted uponnre introduced into theamalgamating chamber, and. Z is the hc operation islas follows A quantity of mercury suicient tofill the lower portion of the cylinder'B and tank J is introduced into the apparatus. The tank J .is illcdiwit'h a. solution of common salt or of some other compound or salt of an electro-positive metal. The battery S is put in operation and motion is imparted to shaft E. The mercury in the lower partofithe apparatus, under the impulse of blade L, commences circulating in the direction indicated by the black varrows through the tank and cylinder, and in passing through tank .T has its -amalgamattve afiinity heightened by contact with the solution-in the tank under the action of the electric4 current. The ground ore to be operated upon is suspendcd'in Water; und fed through't'eed pipe Y to the nnial'gamating chamber B and passes through the perforated amnlgamating platcsF in the direction indicated by .the red arrows, u direction opposite to that in which tho current of mercury is'ilowing through the chamber, und escapes, after parting with its con-tained metal to the quicksilver, through the outlet pipe Z.

It will be'obscrved .that the quicksilver, uftejr being regenerated in tu-nl-Lcntcrs the amalgamating chamber Vat the outlet end for thc ore, so that the orc, as it is exhausted of' its metal, is constantly meeting in its passage' through the ch'amher 'with mercury of increasing amalgamatire poner. 'The waste of the ainalg-ainativc energy consequent upon the rnpid agitation and comminution ofthe mcrcuryin presence of Water in the arnalgamutingI y Vchamber is rapid, and by the time it reaches pipe H, to 'return to tank d', the amalgamativc activity of thornercury is much diminished and needs the regenerative action of the tank to renew its'encrgy for a 'repetition of the operation.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatlclciin and desire tolsecurre by Letters Patent, is-

1. A'n umnlgamatingyagpparstus in which mercury is mede to pass from au umalgumuting chamber to n I regenerating tank, in which its amulgama'tive porrer is increased, as described.

2, Renewing or increasing the amalgumntivo venergy of mercury by passing it through or bringingt-in contact with a, solution of one of the compounds or salts of an electropositive metal subjected to un electric current, qs specified.v I

3. Causing thelmercury, in en nmalgameting apparatus .after regeneration to-t1ow in c direction opposite to thattaken by the eomminuted ores en i'vhicn it is intended to operate, so that the ore least charged with4 metal shall encounter mercury ofthe greatest amnignmutive energy, as set forth.

4. Directly and continuously supplying to mercury used in the extraction of metals from their ores the. v waste of the umalgnmutive energy which occurs in the process of amalgamation by bringing it into contact with a. solution of one of the Salts or compounds of :inv electro-positive metal acted upon by 11n-electrical current, as describedY i' 5. Causing the ore to he operated upon to pass through revolving perforated plates in the amnlgcmating chamber in the manner set forth.

regenerating tank, und electric battery, substantially in the manner and for the purposedescrihed.

The nbove specification of my said invention signed und witnessed 'at Boston, this twelfth day of February, A. D. 1867. l

6. The arrangement for conjoint operation in an nmalgamnting apparatus of an. amalamating chamber,l

H. JULIUS SMITH.'

Witnesses:

Cms. F. STANBBURY, Geo. W. ADAMS. 

